Comparative Susceptibility of <i>Pleurotus </i>spp. to <i>Bradysia tritici </i>and Organic Solutions for Biomanagement

Among the cultivated mushrooms, Pleurotus spp. occupies an important place and is being produced on a large scale, globally. In terms of mushroom output, India is still increasing at a very moderate rate of 4.3 per cent. One of the major reasons responsible for such slow growth rate is the dipteran fly, Bradysia tritici (Coquillett). In this light, present study was conducted to check the susceptibility level of different Pleurotus spp. against B. tritici and the effect of organic products viz., Cow urine, Panchgavya, Jeevamrit and Dashgavya for the management of this pest. Among the four Pleurotus species screened against B. tritici, all were found to be vulnerable; P. cornucopiae being the most susceptible followed by P. florida, P. ostreatus and P. sajor caju. Out of the organic products, dashgavya at 10 per cent was the only suitable product which not only reduced the insect population but also improved the mushroom yields. Therefore, keeping in view the environment safety and crop yield, preventive spray of dashgavya can be given to manage this pest. Additionally, as a part of integrated pest management, these low-cost organic solutions can be tested in turn benefiting the mushroom industry.